Friday, January 24, 2014

Appco Group India: Surpassing targets, yet maintaining performance

Business targets are an essential part of the whole business terminology where the emphasis on achieving the targets surpasses the other management essentials. Experts have claimed that performance is many a time linked to achieving targets but the questions lies in the very fact that in a situation where good performance guarantees target achievement, do such targets guarantee a good performance? 

The whole essence of targets and achievements gives rise to a competitive environment where the sheer pleasure of performing well and consistently disappears in thin air. There is a matter of discrepancy when determining an over performer and an accurate performer which further more creates a gap in employee development. Target achievement is equally important for an employee as it is to have a consistent performance over time. Performance on the other hand is defined as an amalgamation of various elements like targets, averages, good conduct, development ratio and alike. Targets are one of the significant steps in having a benchmark performance which an average employee substitutes as performance. In sales, at the start of the career, an ambitious employee gets drawn towards factors which will lead to achievements of targets rather than developing his skills and learning and development. In the short run, his objectives become target based while in the long run, this creates a lag wherein his development takes a setback. This can disrupt the learning phase in an employee’s career to a considerable extent. The beauty of learning and developing the skills get secondary due to which a new employee gets branded as average and can have a hard time for development due to change in priorities and job responsibilities later in his career. The strategic and management ability in an employee remains undeveloped due to which he can experience problems in other responsibilities like leadership, team building etc. 

In a business environment where achieving targets become an extreme necessity, there should be a hint of skill development practices where apart from achieving targets, an employee gets exposed to the other functions of management. This can provide assistance in the long run for both the employee and the organization in terms of better career prospects and organizational growth alike.

Appco Group India: Factors influencing employee performance

The importance of having a good performance is well debated across various platforms and even in companies from different backgrounds; the complete understanding of having progressive performance holds the same value. However, many companies and employees fail to realize the essential factors that influence the overall performance of an employee finally contributing to the overall performance of the business.

Of the many general and known factors that contribute positively to an employee’s performance, motivation holds the utmost importance and is an intangible factor that can go a long way. Motivation can come in various forms and through various sources however many employees lack the attitude to take motivation in their stride positively. Having clarity of individual and business goals and objectives will add a huge momentum for an employee to do better and contribute to the overall performance. The company needs to be clear of the goals and the objectives for the current situation and future prospects for ensuring a seamless atmosphere at the workplace.

Leadership and team building again are the important influencing elements where an employee forms trust with his peers and a sense of confidence is imparted. Arguably, an employee performs better in situations where he feels confident, supervised and led with a direction. However, this concept is not well executed in many organizations due to various factors involving ego, unfavorable working atmosphere, unsorted business hierarchy etc. 

Various organizational policies also go a long way in influencing and motivating the employees and giving them a sense of oneness and integrity. For example, a good HR practice which may involve handling grievances or addressing an individual or team issue. Having good policies and rules regarding employee safety and provisions to manage the same gains the trust of the employee and considerable makes the working environment favorable. 

While many companies aim to practice such measures to ensure employee satisfaction which directly leads to better performance, be it any function; yet few fail to attain the objective.   

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Appco Group India: Impact of Business on the Society


Gone are the days businesses and society as a whole had nothing to speak in unison. Today the social elements are not hidden from the corporate world and business as an entity has evident direct and indirect ties with the society. Businesses today have realized the advantages of having a positive social impact and are coming forth to incorporate this into their core business strategies.

Business decisions and its outcomes have a huge impact to its internal and external stake holders. It influences the employees, customers, vendors, competitors and changes with different business outcomes. In various countries abroad, the society as a whole expects businesses and organizations to have a positive impact with their outcomes. The most crucial impact an Organization has on the society is on the economy through various factors like the salary an employee gets, the prices charged to customers, the expenses that get incurred in the supply chain, distribution etc. An example of having a positive impact on the customers is through the companies giving them a good value for the price they pay for their products or services.

Effective corporate governance practiced in an Organization can ensure a moral and ethical impact on the society. Effectively monitoring and auditing the operations of an Organization can reduce corruption within and can curb the malpractices which may directly or indirectly affect the external environment. Additionally companies work upon huge data transactions and information which is easily accessible to the masses. Jeopardy in such situations can cause a loss of trust among employees and the customers alike. Businesses can be affected if there is a lack of trust and a negative image is created in the eyes of the people due to bad business practices.

Apart from the social, moral and ethical factors, a significant area of impact a business has is on the environment. Companies are directly responsible for the environmental hazards that are caused on a daily basis in terms of the energy consumption, waste etc. Companies that undertake measures to manage the waste, implement policies which can reduce the energy consumption and develop a sense of responsibility within the employees to contribute, will have  a very favorable impact and contribution to the society.

Best practices adopted as a part of the business thinking will directly guarantee a positive image for the company and corporations need to incorporate these healthy activities to maintain their status and manage crisis.

Appco Group India: CSR as a Corporate Strategy


In the recent history, corporate social responsibility is the new added element in the company’s goals and vision. Unknown to many a companies until the recent times, today, it has emerged in every businesses and the approach towards CSR has seen an upliftment within the organizations. And to put it up more officially, the new Companies ACT makes it mandatory for certain businesses to spend profits on the various social welfare activities.

CSR, as defined by the general industry standards, are the voluntary activities undertaken by a company to operate in an economic, social and environmentally sustainable manner. The value of CSR can be estimated as huge and has notable effects on the various functions of the Organization namely; human resources, reputation management to name a few. Ironically, CSR has been highly criticized to be a PR mock activity while only some part of it helps in managing the company image and brand. Now-a-days, companies have been coming forth in supporting and promoting initiatives which have had a considerable positive impact on the society. Various initiatives would include associating and sponsoring the events which are in some way giving back to the society and the stakeholders.

India, as it is, is a developing nation and more than half part of the country is rural. Education has been the top CSR activity that various organizations have taken up with an aim to provide cost free education to the masses. Women empowerment initiatives have been another big issue which many organizations support. Charity for underprivileged children, homeless children, education for children, initiatives for the old aged, improving human health, eradication of hunger and poverty etc form an essential part of the corporate social strategies. Apart from the social responsibilities, companies are coming forth to join hands for supporting the environmental issues and many big Organizations are taking part in research activities, environmental cleanliness activities and many other initiatives ensuring environmental sustainability so as to initiate a 360o CSR plan within the Organization.

The logical explanation of CSR moves way beyond philanthropy and sponsorships. The society, as a stakeholder to the Organizations, views this as a responsibility to be taken up by companies for ensuring a seamless company reputation. In this process, the Companies get the leverage when it comes to a positive and healthy brand name, which further more helps in retaining employees and developing a good working culture to the internal people as well as o the external entities. Although Government has very recently put down the complete structure for companies to follow, it is still a long way to adopt the various CSR activities and to merge it with the corporate vision and objectives.

The future of business has evolved and Organizations will now have to adopt strategies which will help them sustain the business in the ever changing environment.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Appco Group India: Motivation from different views

Individuals in companies work for different reasons. An encouraging work culture, favorable company policies, liberal work atmosphere, approachable colleagues and many such reasons are the driving factors for people to stay in an organization for a longer tenure. But these are the general external factors that vary from place to place.

For some, indeed, monetary benefits are an essential driving factor. Unlike for people who want to perform, the passion to excel is what drives them. Individuals have learned to think beyond the money factor; but definitely not overlooking it. But for the newer generation who is setting foot in the business, the desire to succeed and perform has been on the forefront. And this is where their motivation lies in. People who share this very passion seek opportunities and events which challenge them to perform. Motivation then forms itself as a discipline which these professionals follow to the core. From discipline, comes to them, is a sense of satisfaction that their hard work provides. It is through the outcome of the work, their motivation can be realized. Such professionals regard money/financial factors as secondary factors.

But for people driven by monetary benefits, their goals and ambitions are based hugely on the way they perceive opportunities for the monetary value it holds. What drives them is probably the quicker they make money out of their jobs, the more successful they are in their careers. Many would say its money; some would look out for stability, while others would look for the challenges.

However, at the end of the day, when it comes to reviewing one’s own self, regardless of what drives you to attain success, everything must be balanced; be it monetary benefits or seeking out opportunities.


‘Every motivation you need is already within you’

Appco Group India- Importance of motivation professionally

Motivation is essentially about being passionate and spirited about the work and is influenced by internal and external factors. Many employees still miss or under perform their deadliness, most often due to the lack of motivation and appreciation. Arguably, motivation as a part of the work culture is very much important, especially in the recent times with companies and business expanding and the competition getting tougher.

Creating a motivated environment in your work culture, it definitely will lead to happy and satisfied employees which will thereby improve and increase productivity among the peers. There are various factors which will boost the motivational aspect of an Organization. Just like they say, motivation starts from within the Organization first; from within the leaders. A true leader/mentor in the Organization will always look for ways to influence and encourage his team so that their focus to achieve remains on the forefront. Employees also look out for appreciation as a medium of motivation when told what they work for is equally important to the Organization just as other job functions are. This in turn serves as a factor for appreciation for the employees.

A successful working relationship is inculcated through rewarding the employees and giving them an elevated status. Moreover, incentives and benefit have their own way of motivating the employees. Motivated employees not only try to outperform consistently; they are also much more oriented on their job than the rest of the employees. Additionally motivation also leads to stability of the workforce which in turns promises the goodwill of the Organization.


The significance of motivation is as important to the employee as it is to the Organization. In the recent times, when retaining the employees is extremely important, motivating the existing employees becomes an utmost necessity.